Sara Mearns

Sara Mearns, a principal dancer for the New York City Ballet, performs in Columbia on Sunday. Photo by Erin Baiano

Performances of ballets created by legendary choreographer George Balanchine are rare in the Southeast. Rarer still is the opportunity to see his works danced by members of New York City Ballet, the world-renowned company that is also part of his legacy.

But such will be the case at the 12th annual Ballet Stars of New York performance, a gala fundraiser for the University of South Carolina dance department. Six NYCB principals will perform alongside dance students from the university, giving Columbians an opportunity to experience Balanchine choreography as the master intended it.

“This program is the type of show that New York City Ballet would do,” offers Sara Mearns, one of the NYCB’s principal dancers and a Columbia native. “We have three or four different ballets a night.”

This week’s program hits that mark, offering two Balanchine pieces — Raymonda Variations and “Who Cares? — along with a portion of Barber Violin Concerto Pas de Deux, choreographed by current NYCB Artistic Director Peter Martins.

Mearns and the other NYCB principals — Jared Angle, Joaquin De Luz, Megan Fairchild, Brittany Pollack and Emilie Gerrity — are well-versed in the Balanchine repertory, known for its challengingly quick footwork and emphasis on creating long lines with the body. Directed by former NYCB soloist and USC ballet instructor Stacey Calvert, these professional dancers should provide living, breathing inspiration for the aspiring dance students at USC.

“Dancing with NYCB dancers really ups the game in regards to not only nerves but also quality of professionalism,” says Mary Scott, a USC dance student and cast member for this year’s Ballet Stars performance. “Knowing that we get to share a stage with such credible dancers makes us all push harder to look and act like a professional company rather than a school.”

Named by Dance Magazine in 2014 as one of the nation’s top three programs in the nation, USC’s connection to the NYCB helps cast the school in a prestigious light. The dancers there are already part of a competitive program. The Ballet Stars performance kicks the intensity up a notch.

The USC dancers that perform in the show are handpicked by Calvert. But even for dancers not in the current year’s cast, NYCB principals hanging around their college dance department is significant, a measuring stick for gauging their own progress and proof that all their hard work could eventually pay off. 

“This performance is unique to the USC Dance company,” posits Christine Smith, a second-year USC dance student. “A direct collaboration with NYCB principal dancers and college students, how cool is that? Not every dancer in the program gets to perform in this show, so being chosen is a great honor. This year, the students in the performance had to sacrifice their spring break and they’ve had countless hours of rehearsal in only a few weeks.”

For Mearns, dancing here is more than a chance to inspire the next generation of ballet dancers. Mearns began her training at Ann Brodie’s Carolina Ballet in Columbia, and her yearly return is a tribute to her balletic beginnings.

“It’s definitely emotional because this is where it all started for me,” Mearns says. “I feel very proud to come back and perform for my hometown and give back to the community that got me to where I am today.” 


What: Ballet Stars of New York 

Where: Koger Center, 1051 Greene St. 

When: Sunday, March 19, 5 p.m.

Price: $15-$35

More: 803-777-5112, kogercenterforthearts.com

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